Prior art telecommunications means include the telephone, which provides an essentially voice connection between two or more persons, one of whom calls the other by means of a telephone number. This type of communication is effected by means of a fixed or mobile telephone and enables a call to be made quickly from any location and by means of a compact device, and provides virtual contact with the called person, whose voice can be recognized. Having to disclose one's telephone number in order that one may be called means that true anonymity cannot be preserved.
Other telecommunications means are expanding rapidly at this time, including electronic messaging using local area or wide area packet transmission networks such as the Internet. In asynchronous electronic messaging, the receiver logs onto a server to receive a message “off line”. In synchronous electronic messaging, two or more parties are connected simultaneously to a server to enable one party to receive instantaneously messages sent by another party. When communicating on a large scale like this, some users prefer to use a pseudonym to preserve their anonymity to protect their privacy.
There are many personal reasons why an electronic messaging user might wish to communicate with other messaging users by telephone.
Some instantaneous electronic messaging services, such as Internet chat rooms, allow the exchange of telephone numbers by means of asynchronous messaging. This has the drawbacks of interrupting continuity of service and of disclosing the user's telephone number to persons who are obviously not well known to the user as yet.
Some instantaneous electronic messaging services give out a telephone number that is valid only during a session. However, this service is not automated and the user must send the number himself. The possibility of the number being re-used is also a problem.
It is possible to use a telephone meeting gateway that generally has a permanent telephone number, although there is no facility for its automatic transmission. The number may be re-used and thereby disturb the service.
A need is making itself felt for using the many telecommunications means currently on offer without encountering the problems referred to above.